Safety is always a major concern of vehicle drivers and passengers. The automobile industry developed well known devices such as adaptive cruise control, traction control, anti-lock braking, TRAXXAR stability control, rain sensors, backup/parking sensors and active suspension systems for incorporation in a vehicle to improve its safety. For example, a vehicle relies on the adaptive cruise control to adjust its speed to safely follow other vehicles in traffic. Specifically, it relies on radar or infrared sensors to measure the distance to the vehicle just ahead. If the vehicle ahead speeds up or slows down, an onboard computer adjusts the throttle or brakes to maintain a safe distance. The TRAXXAR stability control relies on use of sensors to measure the steering wheel position, and the yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the vehicle. These sensors work with the onboard computer to controllably apply brakes at selected wheels to avoid potential skids. With the advent of computer control technology, more and more vehicle safety devices are being developed which include, e.g., an active roll control (ARC) system controlling steering and suspension to prevent any vehicle rollover.
In addition, navigation systems based on global positioning system (GPS) technology were developed for use in a vehicle. One such navigation system is capable of receiving signals from a constellation of satellites, which are part of the GPS. Based on the received signals, such navigation system identifies the vehicle's location, e.g., in latitude and longitude. The navigation system also detects the vehicle's speed and direction. With geographic information stored in the on-board computer, the navigation system is capable of audio-visually communicating to a user instructions for reaching a given destination. Another navigation system is capable of receiving signals from ground based servers that function as an intermediary between a constellation of satellites and the vehicles equipped with a GPS system. Yet another navigation system utilizes cellular telephone sites and cross triangulation to locate vehicles equipped with appropriate systems. These vehicle navigation systems may be incorporated into a vehicle or may be realized in the form of a handset device, which can be “docked” inside the vehicle.
It is envisioned that in the near future the navigation systems will utilize realtime weather, traffic and road surface condition information to help drivers avoid areas having inclement weather, congested areas and undesirable roads. Such information, which may be provided using sensors in the road and cameras at intersections, is continuously fed to a central computer. Selected part of the collected information is then transmitted from the central computer to a receiver in a vehicle in a wireless manner.
Alternatively, each vehicle on the road may serve as a “moving sensor” collecting the weather, traffic and road condition information using radar and infrared sensors therein. The collected information is then transmitted from each vehicle to the central computer where it is processed and from where it is distributed to other vehicles for their utilization. Of course, the more vehicles that serve as the moving sensor, the more accurate and comprehensive the traffic and road condition information would be. There are a number of prior art systems for collecting weather, traffic, and road condition information, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,133,853 and 6,148,261.
With the above-described state-of-the-art vehicle devices and navigation systems, the realization of the ultimate vehicle which is capable of driving itself is just a matter of time.